There's beer and then there's stout, and Gritty McDuff 's Black Fly Stout is the real deal. Black Fly is a dry, all-malt stout packed with roasted flavor. We use six different grains in the brewing of this dark masterpiece and balance the full palate with Oregon Willamette and Yakima Clusters hops. Like the legendary Irish stouts that inspired it, Black Fly Stout is rich, robust and a touch mysterious. The finest stout west of Galway Bay!

Appearance: Very dark, almost completely black in it's entirety. Nice head which then trails down.

Nose: Heavy malt, coffee and maybe some chocolate, albeit very light at that.

Taste: A creamy, dry stout which is well balanced and goes down quite smoothly, with the foam head retaining a decent structure and ringing the glass until ~1/2 through the glass. Pretty light in the body and the mouth-feel leaves me somewhat wanting, though I could certainly drink several without complaint.

Overall: A fine stout, which I would recommend in light of the typical shelf beers which proliferate the liquor stores. However, the ratings posted are seemingly out of reach somewhat for this brew, at least in my opinion. (752 characters)

Got a flight at the Gritty McDuff's in Portland ME:Halloween AleCask Best BitterMaine's Best IPAPub Style

All were exactly the same amber color, with the same head. The aroma was exactly the same, except for the Pub Style. I also had a pint of their Black Fly Stout, which fortunately did have a different color.

I iterated between their Halloween Ale, their IPA, and their Cask Bitter. All were exactly the same, except that the Cask Bitter was slightly warmer.

When I suggested to the waitress that the beers might have been mis-poured, she said that they were correct, that she was also a bartender, and that she could tell from the color of the pours.

Assuming what I drank was correct ...

I found the beer was watery, and it was as though they used poor quality water. All their beers had an off after-taste ... as though their was a Gritty McDuffs flavor they added to all their beers (including their stout)

Mouth feel was watery. And a little evervescent ... a slight bite from the c02. Interesting, even the cask best bitter had a slight CO2 bite to it.

Very sorry I went to this pub. Food was ok. But the beers were mediocre to poor. (1,202 characters)

Best stout ever! Brewed in a traditional Irish style, this all-malt stout is well balanced, and packed with roasted flavor. If in Maine, you need to look for this one. Sold in bottles and on tap at their Freeport, ME restaurant and pub. (239 characters)

Served on tap in a pint glassA: Jet black with a khaki head the grows legs and clings to the glass.S: Very mild. Hints of chocolate and roasted malts.T: Chocolate, roasted and dark malt, glimpse of coffee. Underlying hop bitterness that finishes dry.M: Silky mouthfeel; a tad more than medium-bodied.O: Hands down the best beer Gritty's offers. I would drink it again. (373 characters)

Poured from the 22 oz. bottle into a Samuel Smith English nonick pint glass

a: Black with clear ruby highlights when seen through light, although that took awhile to determine since at first pour the tan head took up eht entire glass! Several further pours were needed to finally fill the glass, and even then there was still a good one inch takk rocky head of foam.

s: Nothing notable.

t: Mild fruit over watery dark malt. Slight bitter ashy aftertaste. Almost Belgian in its fruitiness. Can't account for the fact that what I am tasting is so very different from the description above: "Black Fly is a dry, all-malt stout packed with roasted flavor. We use six different grains in the brewing of this dark masterpiece and balance the full palate with Oregon Willamette and Yakima Clusters hops. Like the legendary Irish stouts that inspired it, Black Fly Stout is rich, robust" Mine was neither roasty nor hoppy, nor particularly robust.

m: Light to moderate, sometimes seeming watery.

o: A surprisingly Belgianish stout, as though some yeast jumped over to Gritty's from Allagash. I was a bit disappointed at the beginning for that reason, since I had been expecting a heavier smokier more traditional stout flavor. But it is tasty enough, and gradually becomes more pleasing until it has warmed over sixty degrees, when it becomes somewhat bitter. The very low ABV allows you to drink the whole bomber and still remain fairly clear-headed. (1,449 characters)

Enjoyed on tap at the bar in Portland, the back half of the pint alongside lobster poutine.Near black pour that won't let light pass. A fair tan-brown head fell fast, but the remaining ring held on well.Smells largely of roasted malt with some coffee...and just a hint of creosote that comes through in the flavor.Creamy mesquite and roasted malt come in up front. Then the taste of artichokes grilled to the point of charred byproducts fill the center. Mixed nuts pop up late with a subtly sweet almond end. Marvelous complexity.The mouthfeel is medium bodied with some heft pierced by the right amount of carbonation. Smooth, almost silky, with subtle tannic/earthy drying on the end--makes you reach for another gulp.This is the best regularly available Gritty's brew that I was able to taste. Worth going back for more! (828 characters)

easily the best beer on at grittys, hands down. honestly the only one I had that I would care to drink again. it pours a really dark brown, almost black, letting not a smidge of light pass. the head is only small, but its a clue to the delicious creamy texture of this brew. lots of roast in nose and taste, not quite burnt, but still rather bitter, with faint English hops being detectable in the finish. the flavor fits the style guidelines well, but the mouthfeel is what makes this beer a keeper, its subtle and mellow for a beer as flavorful as this. its got a very full body, and feels like it could have come from a nitro tap, even though it didn't. I liked it more and more as it warmed, and while it might not be the best accompaniment to a lobster roll, it felt right as I drank it. really the only decent beer happening from these guys, so get some while you can. (874 characters)

A good stout with a nice crisp taste. It was very flavorable and went well with my food. The beer had a thick head that hung around on the glass until the end. The beer had a distinctive smell. The beer is lighter than many stouts and is very easy to drink. Over all a good beer. I wish I could have had another. (312 characters)

A: The beer is close to being jet black—bottom of the glass appears to be very dark red in color when it is held to a bright light. It has a high amount of visible carbonation and poured with a three finger high brownish tan head that kept on growing for a few minutes and then eventually slightly died down, somewhat resembling a root beer float in appearance.S: Light to moderate aromas of roasted malts are present in the nose.T: The taste is similar to the smell and is also accompanied by a light amount of bitterness from the underlying hops.M: It feels light-bodied, slightly thin and a little smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.O: This stout seems somewhat lighter compared to other beers in the style but is very easy to drink—that is once the massive head finally subsides. I wouldn’t consider the bottled version to be sessionable but having this on a nitro-tap might be a different story. (934 characters)

A - midnight black body, off-white/tan head 1/2 inch thick after nitrogen settled out & maintained throughout consumptionS - roasty, light chocolate, and light coffeeT - Nice malt flavor, not overwhelming, roasted bitternessM - thick for a dry stout, but still thin enough to go down easyO - An excellent dry stout. This is one I would order again

Note: I had this beer maybe 10 years ago and I remember enjoying it then. I'm happy to see my taste for this beer had withstood the test of time. (498 characters)

22oz bottle. Pours a pitch black color with some brown hues. Over an inch of thick, frothy tan head. Tons of lacing. The aroma is earthy and malty. Slightly sour with an aroma that reminds me a bit of an Oatmeal Stout. The taste is malty with hints of chocolate and earth. Roasty towards the end with a slightly sour finish. Heavily carbonated. Slick, tingly mouthfeel. Overall, good example of the style. (405 characters)

A: Pours an opaque yet clear jet black in color with light to moderate amounts of visible carbonation and some cola brown + very dark amber highlights. The beer has a two finger tall creamy tan head that slowly reduces to a thin film covering the majority of the surface of the beer and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of roasted malts with some moderate notes of chocolate and coffee.

T: Upfront there are moderate flavors of dark and roasted malts, just on the border of being burnt. Those are followed by the flavors of dark chocolate and espresso. Moderate amounts of bitterness that fades rather quickly.

M: Just heavier than medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Creamy and smooth with some light dryness in the finish.

O: The beer is pretty well balanced overall, though the hop flavors are not really pronounced they balance out the sweetness of the malts. Very enjoyable. (1,016 characters)

A: Almost black in the glass, but not quite. Hints of ruby at the edges. Looks fairly clear. Big, creamy tan head looks very enticing and it doesn't budge an inch, ever. Lacing forms creamy rings on the glass. This is one great looking beer.

S: Acidic burnt malts and roast. Black coffee, bitter dark chocolate, nutty and woody. There's almost a creamy milk chocolate aspect to it as well. Raw cocoa. The nose is surprisingly malt-rich and complex, and it takes a little while to fully open.

T: Burnt malt at the outset. Black coffee, some acidity, spent coffee grounds, bitter dark chocolate, ghost-like hints of caramel and molasses. A little nutty and woody. Roasted and toasted grains. The acidity gives it an almost metallic edge for just an instant and lends that small sour twang that is expected of the style. Hops lend a green sort of bitterness that stays in a supporting role. Dry throughout. Finishes with tastes of raw cocoa, burnt malt, coffee grounds, and bitter dark chocolate.

M: On the lighter side of medium bodied. It sits rather lightly in the mouth, but it is luxuriously creamy and mouth-filling. A moderate amount of forceful, small-bubbled carbonation adds a bit of a crisp and even refreshing bite. Insanely smooth. Maybe the best mouthfeel I've come across in an Irish Dry. Beats the hell out of anything nitro can do.

O: This is just an all-around great beer, and a great representation of the style. It's rich, dark, tasty, and infinitely sessionable. More complex than your average Irish Dry to boot. What more could you want? I wish I could swap out every Guinness tap around me with this stuff. (1,671 characters)

A: Wow- this beer has a very nice, thick, two finger tan head. It settles and leaves a nice lacing down the glass. The beer itself appears jet black- as I hold the glass up to the light- nothing passes through it.

Poured from a bomber into a pint glass, the beer is jet black, with a brown highlight around the edges. There is a thin film of milk-chocolate colored head that coats the top of the brew. Aromas are of deep coffee, campfire smoke and char, very bitter and dark chocolate, and some sharp spicing throughout (maybe some cinnamon and pepper). Flavors are light and very dry, with a dark roasted coffee ground flavor front and center, followed by campfire smoke and a meaty highlight. The body is light, smooth, and extremely dry, which is a perfect representation of the style. The aftertaste is mostly smoke, with a rich and semisweet highlight. The finish is dry, and extremely clean. Chocolatey notes finish off as the flavors clear. Very tasty beer...great for a campfire! (773 characters)

Poured an absolute pitch black color (no light penetration) from a 22 oz bomber, with no ABV or freshness date on the label. Huge two finger tan color head that dissipates slowly leaving behind some nice lace. Aroma is high on malt with notes of cocoa, milk chocolate, roasted coffee and some licorice evident. Taste is predominantly of roasted malts, and the bitterness in the finish is just right.Medium bodied stout that is very easy to drink. Not as dry as I was expecting from the aroma. This is a very nice example of an irish dry stout. Definitely worth trying and is highly recommended. (600 characters)